Ship or vessel.



G. E. ELIA.

SHIP 0R VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15, 1909.

1,008,801 1 Patented NOV.14, 1911.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

SHIP OR VESSEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

Application filed February 15, 1909. Serial No. 478,027.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELI'A, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Hotel Astoria, Avenue des Champs Elysees, Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ships or Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ships and vessels and is particularly applicable for use in connection with vessels employed in naval warfare, and has for its chief object to provide increased protection to those parts of the vessel which are liable to torpedo attack or to contact with submarine mines.

The invention consists mainly in neutralizing the destructive force resulting from the sudden generation of a large volume of hot gases on explosion of the torpedo or mine, by supporting a mass of material around the portions of the vessel that are liable to torpedo attack, or to contact with submarine mines and in so arranging the material that it represents a density approximating to that of sea water, so that in the event of a quantity of such material being detached from the vessel by the force of a submarine explosion, the balance of the ship will still be preserved.

The accompanying drawing is a transverse sect-ion of part of a battleship provided with a protecting device constructed in accordance with this invent-ion.

In the arrangement shown a mass of concrete U is supported in front of the strong concave plating R by means of steel bars U connected at R to the armored portion of the ship, and at R to the tubular sup v porting device R Owing to the density of cement being about 2.4, cavities 2 are formed in the interior of themass to reduce the density thereof to that of sea water, namely 1.026. In this way the material in the concave plating R has a weight substantially equal to the sea water displaced.

hen the cement is subjected to a sub marine explosion, a large quantity of the mass will be broken up and be detached from the ships hull, the strong concave plate R will however be preserved or be but little damaged. The space previously occupied by the cement together with it's cavi- 111;? members extending ties or air chambers will now be occupied by sea water and the balance and displacement of the ship will remain the same. The concave portion R can readily be recharged with cement for again putting the ship into fighting condition. If desired the cavities U may be dispensed with and the device may be so arranged that the weight lostby the detachment of a certain quantity of cement may be Compensated for by the admis sion of a corresponding weight of sea water into the passages G.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination with a ships hull, of a quantity of material normally retained in position in front of the parts of the ship to be'protected but detachable therefrom by the force of a submarine explosion, and having a weight substantially equal to the sea water displaced, whereby the balance of the ship is preserved after the explosion; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a ships hull, of a mass of concrete normally retained in position in front of the parts of the ship to be protected but detachable therefrom by the force of a submarine explosion. said concrete containing cavities by which the weight of the mass is reduced substantially to that of the sea water displaced. whereby the balance of the ship is preserved after the explosion; substantially as described.

- 3. 'lhecombination with a ships hull. of strong plating having its outer surface concave below the surface of the water, a mass of concrete arranged to fill such concave portion and means for retaining such concrete in position therein.

4. The combination with a'ships hull, of strong plating having its outer surface concave below the surface of the water, a mass of concrete arranged to fill such concave portion and to. present a convex outer surface to the water and a number of supportacross the outer sur face of the concrete and connected at their upper and lower ends to the adjacent parts of the ship.

5. The combination with a ships hull, of strong plating having its outer surface concave below the surface of the water, a mass of concrete formed with cavities and ar- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature ranged to fill-such concave portion and to in presence of two witnesses.

present a convex outer surface to the Water i v Y and a number of steel bars extending across (JIOV AA NI EMANUELE ELIA' the outer surface of the concrete and con- Vitnesses:

nected at. their upper and lower ends to the ALBERT J. RATLEY HADMAN, adjacent parts of the ship. T. SELBY WARDLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by aiidressing' the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

